OCEANSIDE – Standing in an almost-empty parking lot downtown, activist and former school principal George McNeil announced his candidacy for City Council on Tuesday and vowed to revitalize the area.

“I will promote the image of a safe, clean downtown,” McNeil told 20 supporters gathered at Mission Avenue and Cleveland Street. “We must have a cohesive plan to develop downtown, to make downtown viable so we can have people around during the day.”

McNeil said downtown Oceanside could be energized by retaining commercial and office space and resisting developers who are eager to turn commercial properties into homes. When businesses stay, they create jobs and foot traffic, he said.

McNeil, 65, is one of two challengers so far to declare their intention to compete against incumbents Shari Mackin, 49, and Rocky Chavez, 54, in the November election.

The other challenger is Jerry Kern, 53, a teacher at Oceanside's Pacific View Charter School.

The filing deadline for candidacy for the two seats on the five-member council is Aug. 10. More candidates are expected.

McNeil moved to Oceanside about five years ago after retiring as a principal at Chabad Hebrew Academy in Scripps Ranch.

He is chairman of Oceanside's Manufactured Home Fair Practices Commission, a five-member board appointed by the City Council to regulate mobile-home rents. He also is a member of the El Corazon Oversight Committee, established to help build the proposed 450-acre park in the center of Oceanside, a city of 175,000 people with a median income of $50,000.

On Tuesday, McNeil said he would encourage businesses to open in Oceanside by expediting their applications to relocate in the city. He also promised to bring civility to a bickering council.

“The name-calling and nasty insinuations has got to stop,” he said to the applause of supporters. “One can disagree without being disagreeable.”

McNeil is endorsed by Mayor Jim Wood, who said Tuesday that McNeil is an asset to the city.

“I watched him deal with people. He has an excellent personality,” Wood said.

McNeil also has integrity, supporters said.

“He has no special allegiance to any member on the council or special interests,” Carol Blom said. “I will do everything I can to support him.”

Blom's husband, Dick, said McNeil researches issues before taking a position. “That's how the city should be run,” he said.